My Clyde Puffer

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

If you have a dig around on Google you will find many examples of a puffer hull painted up in the same way as yours.  Not just the Vital Spark but many period pictures as well show black only above the rubbing strake.

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Thanks gents. Putting some colour on certainly gives it more life. I’m toying with the idea of giving the oxide area a really thin wash of black or dark grey to give it a used look.

Fred , it’ll be sometime before it sees water. Lots to do yet.

Jim.

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Given the oxide coating a thin black wash to tone it down a bit. Might give it bit more weathering marks yet but I don’t want to over do it. I need to look at a few more coloured pictures to get some ideas.

Jim.

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Managed to get back on the Puffer again.

The engine house been completed with the roof on and I’ve fitted open doors, just to make it look a bit different. I may add a bit more detail to the engine house as it looks a wee bit plain, although from some pictures, they were. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of rivetting showing ,so maybe they were a welded construction. The wheelhouse framework is on top, ready to be planked, but I’m going to plank the rear deck first. Nothing is glued down yet.

Jim.

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

Nice neat woodwork, you’ve given yourself a stout framework on which you can now plank.  The wash makes a big difference to the hull.  Just tones the solid colour down a bit and adds a bit of tonal difference to make it more interesting.

I would definitely advise creating a test piece.  Get yourself a reasonable sized piece of ply, prime it and then paint it with exactly the same paints that you have painted your hull.  You can then use that to try out any other weathering processes that you might be considering.  Far better to make a mess of a scrap of ply than your pride and joy.  Only when you produce something you are really pleased with can you then try it on the model.

These are the type of things I do with specific things such as gunwhale stays etc.  For a hull side you might want a bigger peice.

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Thanks Richard,

I’ve noted what you did on your coaster build, plus, like you, it helps having done some weathering on locos that I have. Something to look forward to eventually.

Jim.

[Fred Ellis 1Participant @fredellis1]

Hi Jim

Your Puffer is just great, I must say your woodwork is one of the best I have seen for a long time.

I must say that your hull looks a lot better than mine, I think mine could do with a dark wash.

Looking forward to seeing how you do your wheel house, I take it you will be fitting it out. When you start the deck are you going to put a ply deck then plank over that?

Fred

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Hi Fred,

Thankyou for your comments. My woodworking skills are very basic I’m afraid, there’s nothing special about it, a lot of mistakes made along the way had to be corrected!

I decided on the wash to tone down the brightness of the oxide colour which I thought was a little bit bright so I thinned down some Humbrol enamel with thinners and used a flat brush to paint over the oxide. ( the oxide was just a Halfords rattle acryllic which I gave a good while to thoroughly dry out before the wash.) I was a bit unsure at first about what I’d done , but once thoroughly dry it seems have turned out ok. It has different shades in it which look quite nice.

Regarding the planking on the deck, my first thought is to plank straight on to the bulkheads using 1/16th ply strips that I’ve already cut out. The wheelhouse will need some internal supports for its lighter planks which will help with the glueing. I need to study pictures to see about detailing the inside,

The forward decking will be planked over the ply deck that I’ve already made. The area around the hatch I’ve covered in card in the hope of using Richards idea of representing flush rivetting. I’m not sure about bulwark side support stays ,as a lot of pictures show boats without them, but it would be another bit of detail to try.

Still lots to do,

Jim.

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Nice job Jim.  Wonder about water getting in through your open doors.

Len

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Hopefully not Len, but if it’s a problem in the future, it’ll need looking at again.

Everything above the decking will be made to be removable, so if the open doors don’t work it shouldn’t be too difficult to put right.

Jim.

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